At the March 20 Prescott School Board meeting, President Mike Matzek had reassured all that what will happen to the operations of the district is not a scare tactic but is based on facts and drastic cuts will need to occur if the referendum fails. Superintendent Dr. Rick Spicuzza explained what would be at stake for the kids.

Due to having to cut staff, class sizes would be larger. PSD would not be able to retain current in-town bus routes. In grades K-5, there would be a reduction of programs that support kids who struggle academically and a reduction of programs other than basic instruction. In grades 6-12, if the referendum failed, there would be reduced theater and music programs and performances. C-teams may need to be eliminated. There would be increased class sizes and a reduction of options or electives.

The operational referendum failed April 2 by a meager 12 votes: 998 against, 986 in favor.

With the operational referendum failing, the school board has already made cuts to the budget and is working on more.

Motions approved at the April 10 special meeting included:

• Not to budget for a new bus for the 2024-25 school year;
• To remove in-town bus routes within the 2-mile radius based on the routing map area provided by transportation beginning fall 2024;
• To notify St. Joseph Parish School that the Food Service Agreement in place for the 2023-24 school year will end with the last day of school.

The board went into closed session to further discuss academic cuts that could not legally be brought up in open session. The board considered a motion but did not act on eliminating C-team athletics for the 2024-2025 school year.

Spicuzza explained the reason behind the bus reduction.

“We used a rubric that said if we provide a service and the service is not required by law and we do not receive any reimbursement for federal or state dollars, that those services would be up for first removal,” he said. “That means that students that are within a two-mile walking distance with the exception of some hazard zones, that that in town bus aid would be eliminated. This allows us now to reduce our transportation staff by one; we will be reducing our fleet by one. We will be selling two buses on the open market through the state.”

At the April 17 regular meeting, the board held a lengthy discussion on how to best cut $45,000 from the sports budget in part by eliminating C-teams. After looking at all the options, which included only keeping fall sports C-teams due to the concern of mixing younger football players with more mature JV and varsity players, the board approved eliminating all C-teams. The consensus was that these younger athletes, much like increasing class sizes, would be incorporated into the JV teams.

Following this motion, in an effort to reassure or make it more clear to the public, Spicuzza suggested adding language to his contract that reads, “The PSD Superintendent will not receive an increase in wages for 2024-25 unless the Board approves staff increases for 2024-25.” The motion passed unanimously.

Visitors at the April 17 meeting respectfully voiced their opinions regarding the upcoming cuts to academics and in-town bussing.

Jamie McDonough, a 17-year veteran fifth grade teacher at Prescott Intermediate School, spoke representing the K-5 educators.

“Several times over the past few months we have been asked to remember our why. For those of you not in the educational world that is the latest and greatest … and while we have not forgotten the why, it has become increasingly difficult to keep it at the forefront of our thoughts. After months of uncertainty, we've been delivered a blow that none of us truly saw coming even after the failed referendum. As a K-5 staff we cannot help but feel that recent decisions are falling heavily on our backs, but more importantly on our kids,” she said, pausing to rein in her tears.

“While we realize that the decision at each grade level K-5, it's a done deal. Unless you've ever been in a classroom of 22 5-year-olds or 26 to 34 fifth grade students, you can't possibly understand what we are being asked to do,” McDonough said. “But again, the decision has been made at this point; all we can do is ask that you take two minutes and really listen to how we the K5 staff are feeling: (reading from cards submitted from staff members) uncertain, gutted, forsaken, anxious, devastated, tension, nauseous, worried, defeated, unsupported, stressed, anxious, demoralized, concerned, leaving, uncertain, anxious, disheartened, devastated, anxious, concerned, heartbroken, anxious, frustrated, unsettled, nervous, disappointed, heartbroken, disillusioned, apprehensive, discouraged and abandoned. As you consider the next step, next steps, we ask that you remember these words and know that we will continue to remember our why, which was, is and will continue to be our students, no matter how many that might be. Thank you.”

Next to speak was Tracy Collins, a mother of three students in the district, a business owner and an active community member.

“I want to extend first my appreciation for the fact that you're here making these difficult decisions. I was hoping that we wouldn't need to make these decisions and we would not be in this position. But we are and I know that you have to make the difficult ones,” said Collins. “I'm not asking you to hear anything that I say as judgment on you for it is not, it is simply my fears and my concerns for our future. I am afraid the loss of in-town busing is going to cause the death or serious injury of one of our children in the community. I fear the trauma of a potential young driver if an accident happens. The conditions for children walking to school safely in this town are dangerous. The lack of sidewalks, supervision and the number of cars on the roads during drop offs and pick up times makes walking to school for any kid very dangerous in this town. I worry about the weather and exposed skin and our district does not have a record for closing schools due to cold; very seldom do we close for snow compared to other districts.

“I worry about the academics which are going to get cut. I have a child that's in a robotics class in high school and loves the class. But this is a low-attended class; there are only a few students in this class. I understand why that may be one of the cuts that gets made. I am worried for the students who need those highly involved but low-key classes to make school worthwhile. I worry about elementary school and the increase in students for a child that struggled in school and how that is going to affect his day-to-day when he already has difficulty going to school. He does not go to school because of our academics. He goes to school because of his teachers, because of his friends, because of those people that make a difference that are now going to have so much more to do. I worry about the students that are in athletics that are going to get cut. I worry about the students in art because that's what makes school worthwhile for them. There isn't one piece of this that isn't hard. My ask as a mom, is that whatever you cut, you cut equally and without prejudice. You cannot take the biggest chunk out of academics. You cannot take your biggest chunk out of athletics. You cannot take your biggest chunk out of the arts. It has to be equal across the three.”

Collins concluded by pointing out that the lack of in-town bussing will greatly affect the afterschool programs at local daycare centers.

Parent and district employee Katy Hillebrand expressed her appreciation for all the difficult work that individuals, the school board and the administration have done in the wake of the failed referendum.

The board heard from 10^th grade student Jacob Barker.

“I'm a 10th grader here at Prescott High School and I'm sure like everybody sitting in this room, we were very, me and my friends at least, were very devastated to hear that the referendum failed in April. And I come to the board today to just ask that in all the considerations that are made here in this meeting and those to follow for the following school year, that the high achievers here at all of the Prescott School District are taken into consideration, even if not very highly, just those who are here to do more than play sports or here to do more than hanging out with friends or those here to do more than sit in bathrooms and do nothing during class, are taken into consideration with classes that may stay or may be cut. So thank you and I thank you for your time.”

The public was again invited to the podium at the end of the meeting. Previous speakers returned to convey their concerns regarding the academic cuts. One visitor suggested too little time was spent talking about increasing class sizes and downsizing teaching staff and only one school board member advocated for student class sizes while it appeared more time was spent on C-team sports.

Matzek later spoke to this point saying, “I just I want to point out, there was a closed session last week and you can look up the minutes. We were in closed session for over two hours. So, we do put a lot of time into all the decisions that we make. But unfortunately, a lot of its personnel and we can't handle it in open session.”

To that end, the board convened into a closed session discussion of additional preliminary non renewals, non-licensed personnel non-renewal notice and review of Superintendent 2023 goals.